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For the first time since 2000, a film festival celebrating women loving women will return to Film Forum this February.
Originally created to screen lesbian films with an established cult following, 2024’s Sapph-O-Rama will showcase “sapphic classics and discoveries”, expanding the canon and discussion with a more inclusive body of 30 films.
Andrea Torres, Film Forum’s publicist, and Emily Greenberg, Film Forum’s print coordinator, decided to revive the film fest for “love month” after discovering archival material from the original event. The cinephiles are colleagues and friends, and often see each other at gay screenings around the city. After speaking with some originally Sapph-O-Rama attendees and organizers, the duo wanted to recreate the two-week event, even in the scrolling era.
“We thought it was amazing and we really pushed to bring it back,” says Greenberg. “The original series focused on lesbian cult movies. There were some great titles worth keeping around, but we also felt we could expand on what was there.”
Now, the festival includes crowd-pleasers like 1985’s Desert Hearts, all the way back to sapphic cinema from 100 years ago. Salomé, a queer silent film from 1922 will be presented along with live piano music. Sapph-O-Rama's programming may seem a bit eclectic to the unsuspecting moviegoer, but the program aims to present a century-long history of lesbians on the big screen, presenting a bigger picture, unfortunate stereotypes and exploitation included, to the audience.
“We tried to look at every decade,” says Torres about curating the program. “There hasn’t always been positive representations of queer people, particularly lesbianism, in cinema, but we didn’t shy away from that. We wanted to extend beyond the most obvious picks, and shed light on old and new works that maintain a sapphic sensibility, showing the evolution and enduring spirit of the lesbian image.”
Independent films, documentaries, rarely seen archival features and more are all included in thirteen days of screenings, which includes three showings of the New York-set 2004 rom-com Saving Face, Brooklyn-based Pariah (2011), 1996’s The Watermelon Woman and many more familiar titles.
Why leave the coziness of your couch to screen instead of stream But I’m a Cheerleader for the umpteenth time? Community, for one.
“For queer audiences, we all remember where we were when we saw some of these films for the first time, whether it was alone, or with a friend or a loved one,” says Torres. “Watching it then was formative. The opportunity to see it now with the community around you, as a celebration, is exciting for us. It’s going to be a really joyful experience. We tried to make sure all these films captured the joy of queerness and sapphic experience.”
Several filmmakers will also appear with their films, including Maria Maggenti introducing her 1995 classic, The Incredible True Story of Two Girls in Love, and filmmaker Madeleine Olnek, plus stars Lisa Haas and Rae C. Wright hosting a Q&A session after Codependent Lesbian Space Alien Seeks Same.
“We’re looking forward to people gathering and finding moments of spontaneity and connection,” said Greenberg. “It’s a really special opportunity.”
Five can’t-miss Sapph-O-Rama films
Killing Of Sister George (1968)
“This is a classic,” says Greenberg. “We’re excited for people to see independent films small in scope or production, that have a lasting impact among the lesbian community, but aren’t often screened.” This is one of them. Film critic Melissa Anderson will introduce the movie. “There's an incredible lesbian bar scene, featuring real lesbians in a now shuttered club, Gateways Club, in London.”
Dark Habits (1983)
“This Spanish film about drug-addicted lesbian nuns is less-screened but really compassionate,” says Greenberg. “People will really enjoy that.” Fun fact: This film was rejected from Cannes due to being “sacrilegious”.
She Must Be Seeing Things (1987)
“This is a dark psycho-thriller by Sheila McLaughlin,” says Torres. “In the ’80s, she was running in circles with Lizzie Borden and Bette Gordon, who brought a feminist voice to cinema. Then she disappeared and went on to be an acupuncturist. The movie didn’t have much of a life beyond its release at Film Forum in ’87.”
Show Me Love (1998)
“This is for fans of indie teen romance dramas,” says Torres. “This is a Swedish film about two angsty teen girls on opposite ends of the social spectrum who find each other at a birthday party one night.”
Shakedown (2018)
“Leilah Weinraub documentary follows a Black lesbian strip club in LA, and some of the key players,” says Torres. “It’s a must-see.”
Sapph-O-Rama runs February 2- 13, 2024 at Film Forum, 209 West Houston St. General Admission tickets are $17 per screening. Tickets for Film Forum members are $11. A 100% tax deductible Film Forum membership starts at $75 or $50 for students, seniors and people with disabilities.